6 Common Problems with Bobcat 337 and Their Solutions

Bobcat 337 is a very popular Mini Excavator, and this excavator performs very well to handle your daily small to mid-sized lawn and garden works. They are also known as mini diggers, but without proper and daily maintenance, this machine can suffer from some problems in the long run.

Despite being a reliable machine, the Bobcat 337 can suffer from problems like Hydraulic problems, faulty driver motors, and broken booms are a few of the most common problems it is likely to suffer from. All these problems are preventable and fixable if you know how to.

So, if you own a Bobcat 337 mini excavator or any other similar model, our guide is for you. Today we will discuss all of its common problems and solutions.

What Are The Common Bobcat 337 Problems?

Bobcat 337 can suffer from quite a few problems. You must find the root of the problems to find solutions easily. So, read below to know about this mini excavator’s common problems.

• Hydraulic problems 
• Faulty Drive Motor 
• Broken Booms
• Leaking sprocket 
• Broken oil seal 
• Falling tracks

6 Solutions For Bobcat 337 Problems  

All the problems we have listed above are easily fixable if you have little knowledge about the internals of your excavator. So, read below to learn how to fix all these problems.

1. Refill Hydraulic Fluid and Look for Leaks

When the hydraulic fluid inside the hydraulic system gets contaminated with air and water, the whole system begins to become damaged and starts to malfunction.

This can be a very serious issue as the hydraulic system powers the engine to work properly.

You will need to check and fix a few different things for this. Read the steps below to fix it by yourself. A good seat of hydraulic seals will cost anywhere from $4.99-$29.99.

• Step 1: Open your engine, and inside the hydraulic system, look for any leaks. If you see that there is fuel or fluids over the old seals, that means they are damaged.
• Step 2: Open these seals using a seal removal tool; do not use anything else other than this tool to open them.
• Step 3: Clean the area beside the seals using a carb cleaner. Spray some carb cleaner and scrub the area using a soft cloth.
• Step 4: Install new seals in the previous place using the same tool which you used to remove them.
• Step 5: Flush out all the existing hydraulic fluids inside the machine and refill it with new fluid. This should solve hydraulic system issues in your Bobcat 337.

2. Replace Faulty Bearings

The power to spin the tracks and propel the excavator comes from the final drive motor. In light of this, your excavator’s drive motor may exhibit issues when used often for a long time and without the correct maintenance.

As time passes, the bearing inside the drive motor starts to get worn down and damaged, eventually causing leakages in the drive motor.

So, you must replace them if this happens. Also, make sure to check the seals whether they are damaged or not.

Replacing drive motor bearings is a technical task, and you should hire a mechanic for this. The cost can be between $200-$500 depending on the area you live.

3. Replace The Broken Boom

The boom can break down when you repeatedly flex them up and down in your Bobcat 337, as they are only held in place with screws and bolts.

So, when extreme pressure falls on them, the metal can break down, causing the boom to break also.

You cannot reuse a broken boom, so the best option for you is to replace them.

• Step 1: First, remove the broken boom from your Bobcat 337. It is very easy; you will need to unscrew the bolts, and the boom will come loose.
• Step 2: Take the new boom and place it in the same way as the old one in your mini excavator.
• Step 3: Before tightening the bolts, align the boom properly. After you have properly aligned them, tighten the bolts, and you are done installing the new boom.

There are many different brands of booms available depending on the brand and type, and the average cost can be between $119-$220.

4. Replace the Floating Face Seal

A leaking sprocket is one of the most annoying problems for any excavator, not just Bobcat 337.

The excavator sprocket is put together along with the track chain, slackers, and carrying rollers. Because the carrier rollers are positioned slightly above, the track chain becomes angular.

There are a number of distinct causes of track drive oil leaks from beneath the sprocket, including a leaking main seal and a leaking floating face seal.

So, the first thing that you will need to replace is the floating face seal, and unfortunately, you cannot do it by yourself and need to visit a service center. If the problem stays, you will need to replace the main seal.

Floating face seals are quite cheap, they are available for only around $5, but the labor cost will be around $50-$100.

5. Replace the Broken Oil Seal

Broken oil sea in gear is also a very common problem faced by Bobcat 337 mini excavators.

The spherical hub’s oil seal is what keeps the gear oil there. Gear oil will ultimately leak when the oil seal finally wears down, as is the case with all seals.

If you have a broken oil seal, you will need to replace it. Oil seals are available in all hardware shops for around $1-$5. Read below to know how.

• Step 1: Open the gearbox and access the planetary hub. Between the gears, you will see oil seals.
• Step 2: Remove the old seals using a seal remover tool and then clean the area beside them. Also, remove any remaining gear oil inside the gears as there is a high chance they have been contaminated due to broken seals.
• Step 3: Buy a new seal and install it the same way you have opened it up.

6. Adjust the Track to Perfect Tension

Sometimes you may notice that the track in your Bobcat 337 keeps falling off. This mostly occurs due to track tensioner issues.

But, you can easily fix this issue by following a few simple steps, which we will discuss below.

• Step 1:  Parking the Mini Excavator

Before beginning working with the track, park your Bobcat 337 and turn off the engine. Now, put a block beneath one of the tracks to keep it stable.

• Step 2: Locate the grease joint

Find the grease joints for the track tension control underneath your excavator. Along either side of the track, there should be a grease joint.

• Step 3: Take grease out

Grease has to be taken out of these joints to have equal pressure on both sides of the track.

Therefore, you will need to remove the cover from one of these joints and inject a grease gun into it in order to do that. Grease should come out of the other joint when you stroke the gun’s trigger.

• Step 4: Adjust the tension adjustment screw

A screwdriver should be inserted into the track’s tension adjustment screw. To tighten the track, turn the screwdriver in a clockwise direction.

Rotate the screwdriver a little more so the track is snug but not too snug. On the other side of the track, do the same thing. Ensure that both sides are equally tight.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Regardless of how good Bobcat 337 is, it can suffer from some problems in the long run. By now you should have an idea of those and thus to clear your confusions even more the faq section below will be helpful.

Conclusion

The Bobcat 337 is an excellent mini excavator due to its portability and functionality. However, as it ages, it tends to show some problems we have discussed in this guide.

Even though you can solve all these problems easily, it is always to take preventive measures, so you do not have to suffer from them in the first place. So, make sure to always do the regular maintenance of your mini excavators.

Also, never ignore leaks on your machine whenever you see them. Oil and fluid leaks can lead to further problems, which can cause more serious damage to the internal components of your excavator.